ORES funding and corruption

[Steven Avery]

how much $ has Cornell and Cornell Extension received related to the support of ores


While there is no single aggregated ledger tracking the exact dollar amount Cornell and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) receive exclusively for ORES-related outreach, their renewable energy and solar siting support is heavily funded through multi-million dollar state grants and structural budgets.

Major funding streams explicitly allocated to Cornell for large-scale solar siting, research, and agrivoltaics education include:

Major State Grants & Project Funding

• $5 Million NYSERDA Grant (Awarded Late 2025): The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded $5 million to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). This funding is actively used to construct dual-use solar arrays at university farms in Ithaca and the Hudson Valley. The research directly informs ORES optimal siting practices by studying how large-scale solar layouts impact crop yields and farmland preservation. [1, 2]
• Local Intervenor Funding ($1,000 per MW): Under New York state regulations, developers of ORES-regulated major renewable energy facilities must pay $1,000 per Megawatt into a local community intervenor fund. While these funds are administered by NYSERDA, municipal governments frequently collaborate with or utilize CCE's paid technical expertise and regional planning webinars to navigate the ORES permitting process. [1]

Structural Extension Budgets

Because ORES outreach is integrated into existing CCE programming, part of Cornell Extension's baseline operational funding supports this work:

• Federal Capacity Funds: Individual extension researchers and educators draw from the Smith-Lever Act funds or Federal Capacity Funds, which typically cap specific local extension project support at $30,000 annually per initiative. [1, 2]
• County Appropriations: Local CCE offices rely on county appropriations (e.g., ranging from $68,000 to over $445,000 depending on the NY county) to leverage broader state contracts. This baseline budget funds the regional agricultural energy specialists who run local solar leasing and ORES zoning clinics.[1, 2]

 

[Steven Avery]

does cornell extension support ores solar projects

Yes, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) actively supports and educates communities on New York State's Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) process and large-scale solar projects. CCE acts as an unbiased, research-based educational resource for landowners, farmers, and local municipal planners navigating large-scale solar development. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Cornell's specific support and resources include:

• Land Lease Guidance: Providing fact sheets and educational materials on the considerations, economics, and legalities of signing long-term land leases for solar farms. [1, 2, 3]
• Agrivoltaics & Co-Siting: Researching and promoting the integration of solar generation with agriculture (e.g., solar grazing and growing crops under panels). [1, 2]
• Municipal Planning: Hosting webinar series aimed at addressing the concerns of local officials, municipal planners, and community members regarding ORES permitting, zoning, and project deployment. [1, 2]

You can find actionable resources, webinars, and educator contact info through the Ag Energy NY Solar Portal or by exploring the CCE Tompkins County Ag & Solar Page.